Banner by Selene

Chapter 17

Spike was torn as he flew down the stairs, his feet barely skimming their surface. He wanted to stay with Buffy, but on the other hand, he had to call Giles. Racing into the office, he picked up the phone and punched the speed dial button that would ring Giles’ office. It was a good thing the number was preset in phone, too, because his fingers were shaking so badly that he feared he would be unable to dial the number, let alone remember it. He heard the connection made then heard the telltale ringing of the extension.

“Hello,” Giles answered the phone formally. Since it was Saturday, his secretary was off leaving him to answer the phone himself.

“Giles, you’ve got to help me. It’s Buffy. She’s hurt. She won’t wake up. Why won’t she wake up?” The desperately panicked words tumbled out of his mouth leaving no room for Giles to respond. Spike was babbling and he knew it. But, it was his slayer that was lying up in that bed, completely unresponsive.

“Spike, calm down.” Giles attempted to break through Spike monologue. “Spike. Spike!! Spike!!” The third shout finally got Spike’s attention. Silence came to the line. “Now, Spike, just tell me what’s happening.”

“It’s Buffy. She won’t wake up. The sore. The bruise is spreading. I can’t make it stop. Giles, you have to make it stop,” Spike pleaded, near tears.

“Spike, listen to me. Was Buffy breathing?”

“Yes, although shallowly. Like it hurt her to breath.”

“Ok. That’s something in our favor. She’s the Slayer. Whatever it is, her body is trying to fight it. What I want you to do is go back up there and stay with her. Don’t move her. But, see if you can coax her to drink something. Water would be good. See if you can try to get her to wake up and talk to you. Can you do that for me?”

“Yes,” he whispered.

“I’m going to grab some stuff and be on the first flight to Rome. Have you heard anything from Angel on Buffy’s attacker?”

“Nothing yet.”

“Alright. I’ll call them and get them to forward any information to me. I should be there early afternoon. Can you have someone meet me at the airport?”

“I’ll try. The girls… the girls are all out at the art festival.” Spike didn’t mention that he was home alone with Buffy. He was scared and all alone.

“Well, I’ll call when I land. If nothing else, I’ll take a cab. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“Hurry.” Spike didn’t even say goodbye before he hung up the phone to rush back upstairs to Buffy.

~*~*~*~*~

England
Giles’ office, Watcher’s Council Headquarters, 9:30 a.m. Local Time, London

“This is Rupert Giles. I need to speak with Angel immediately. It is most urgent.” He glanced at his watch to note the time, mentally calculating the time difference. He was astonished that someone actually answered the phone at one-thirty in the morning. He had thought he would have to leave a voice message rather than actually get someone to answer the phone.

While he waited for Angel to pick up the line, Giles busied himself with gathering the books he was looking at. He put the phone on speakerphone and retrieved a few more that might prove useful from the bookshelf then grabbed his satchel and shoved everything inside.

“Hello,” a voice sounded over the speakerphone. Giles stopped what he was doing and shouted, “This is Rupert Giles. I’m holding for Angel.”

“Well, hello there Rupert. Wesley here,” he replied rather cheerfully for someone awake at such a god-awful hour.

Giles walked back to the desk, cradling the phone to his ear, and said, “Wesley, I need to speak with Angel. It’s rather urgent.”

“Angel is out of the office right now. He had some negotiations to do with a few Kremlick demons. He’s not due back for a few hours yet.”

“Find him. Get him back immediately. I’m on my way to Rome right now. Buffy has been hurt, and it doesn’t look good. Tell Angel to get all the information he was able to come up with about Buffy’s attackers and fax it to me at her residence. I should be in Rome in a few hours time. And, Wesley?”

“Yes.”

“Hurry.”

Dropping the phone back in the cradle, Giles finished gathering up the texts and papers that he might need and headed for the door. In his outer office, he grabbed a passing watcher-in-training and in his most authoritative tone, told her that he wanted to be on the next feasible flight out of London Heathrow airport for Rome. And to pull out all the stops. He wanted no delays. If they had to hold the plane until he got to the airport, so be it.

It was time to throw a little of the Council’s weight around!

~*~*~*~*~

Los Angeles

Both Angel’s pager and cell phone went off simultaneously. Ducking to avoid the axe aimed at his head, he spun his leg out in front of him, effectively sweeping the legs out from under the Kremlick demon, knocking it onto its back. He snatched the axe out of the demon’s hands, and threw it towards the far wall where it imbedded in the plaster. Then he fisted his hands in the lapels of the demon’s shirt and jerked him upright, until they were almost nose-to-nose.

“I trust we’re not going to have any more problems. Correct?” The demon vigorously nodded his assent. Kremlick demons were a fierce lot, but always bowed down before superior strength. Angel exhibited that strength.

“Good. Meeting adjourned.”

Angel let go of the demon’s shirt and stood up. Without a backward glance he headed towards the exit. It was only once he was outside in the hallway that he grabbed the cell phone out of his pocket. One missed call, the phone practically accused. He pushed a series of buttons, and determined that it was the office that had called him. He did the same with his pager. Again, he noted that it was the office, more specifically, Wesley’s.

“This is Angel, put me through to Wesley’s office.”

In a matter of moments, Wesley answered the phone.

“Angel. I need you back at the office right away. I just got off the phone with Rupert. Something is happening in Rome.”

“I’ll be there in ten.” He jumped in the viper and sped off toward Wolfram & Hart. He had hung up before Wesley could get out, “Buffy’s hurt.”

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